Highly stereoselective syntheses of syn- and anti-1,2-amino alcohols.

The reduction of N-protected amino ketones can be carried stereoselectively to produce either the syn- or anti-amino alcohol diastereomer. Carbamate-protected amino ketones can be reduced predictably and selectively to anti-amino alcohols with LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3 in ethanol at -78 degrees C. N-Trityl-protected amino ketones can be reduced selectively to syn-amino alcohols with LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3 in THF at -5 degrees C.

Combinatorial Solid-Phase Synthesis of Structurally Complex Thiazolylhydantoines.

A nine-step (!) solid-phase synthesis and subsequent cleavage with cyclization from the polymeric support were the keys to preparing high-quality molecular libraries of thiazolylhydantoines 1 from modified amino acid building blocks. Each step in the synthesis is different. Because the final cyclization cleaves only molecules that have been successfully constructed, the products obtained are pure.